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By Steve Holland JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel embraced U.S. President Joe Biden as an old friend on Wednesday at the start of a high-stakes visit dominated by efforts to bring Israel closer to Saudi Arabia and persuade Washington s Gulf allies to pump more oil. Landing at Ben Gurion Airport, whose runway he first trod in 1973 as a senator, Biden bumped fists with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and, in a speech, described the connection between the two nations as bone-deep . You do not need to be a Jew to be a Zionist, Biden added, voicing support for the ideology behind Israel s foundation on lands with ancient Jewish roots, and which is deeply resented by many Palestinians. Biden also reiterated a U.S. desire for negotiations, stalled since 2014, for Palestinian independence in Israeli-occupied territory, calling this two-state solution the best hope . After separate meetings with leaders of both sides, Biden will on Friday fly on to Saudi Arabia, where he will attend a summit of Gu

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